Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Shauna Murphy takes the stage Tuesday, Oct. 27, to present the district's 2026–2030 Strategic Plan at the annual State of the Schools address.
The 6 p.m. event at the School for Creative and Performing Arts' Mayerson Theater comes one week before voters decide on a five-year, 7-mill property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot. The levy would generate about $66.3 million a year, according to the district's levy page. It is the first time in 10 years CPS has asked voters for new operating money.
The CPS Board of Education has adopted the strategic plan, according to the district's report card announcement. Tuesday's address marks the plan's public rollout to families and community members.
The plan centers on four priorities: equitable access to high-quality instruction, postsecondary opportunities starting at the elementary level, whole-child supports addressing social and emotional needs, and stronger district systems. Murphy previewed the framework at a back-to-school address in August, as WCPO reported, saying the district was expanding career readiness planning beyond high school into middle and elementary schools.
For east-side families, the stakes are concrete. Kilgour School earned five stars on Ohio's 2025–26 School Report Card, the highest rating possible. Withrow University High School jumped from two to five stars in Progress and raised its overall rating from 2.5 to 3.5 stars, improving its Achievement score by 11.4 percentage points. Those gains came during a difficult financial period. CPS closed a projected $58 million budget gap through staffing and spending reductions, furloughs and operational changes, balancing its fiscal year 2027 budget.
Without the levy, CPS projects a cash deficit of $89 million by fiscal year 2030. The district says future cuts could include school closures, larger class sizes, reduced transportation and pay-to-play fees for athletics.
At an October town hall, Murphy said the district had no room left to cut without losing signature programs, singling out the Montessori program as an example, according to WLWT. "And so we're here right now because there's nowhere else to cut," she said.
The address is open to the public at 108 W. Central Parkway. A livestream is available through the district's event page. The Nov. 3 levy vote will appear on ballots across the CPS district, including precincts serving Hyde Park, Oakley and Mount Lookout.
